Catch Me if You Can
by emeraldwolf
Summary: Rated for Yaoi. SoraxRiku. My personal take on why Riku was extending his hand to Sora in the beginning of the game. Let the game begin. complete
1. Challenge

Sora yawned as he spread out on the smooth warm rock. It really was a beautiful day, just like every other day on the island. Warm sun, perfect breeze, and the cool sea below him. He hated it all.  
  
Sighing, his arms dangled in front of him as he watched the tiny fish swim around below his perch on the rocky cliff.  
  
"Are those little things really that interesting?" Sora didn't even flinch at the smooth voice behind him. Well, maybe a shiver.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Sora turned around with a bright smile on his face, the one that took up half his face when he forced it.  
  
"Heya Riku. Have a seat." Sora scooted over and the silver haired boy took the offered place. If there was one thing about the island that Sora liked, it was sitting next to him. The color of his eyes mirrored the ocean that surrounded them, and his hair practically blended in with the silvery whisps of clouds overhead.  
  
"Well?"  
  
Sora realized that while he was admiring his best friend, Riku must have asked him something.  
  
"Sorry, I was zoned. What did you ask?" Riku just laughed, the silky sound causing Sora's knees to melt, had he been standing, he probably would have fallen over.  
  
"I said, aren't you glad we're living this prison tomorrow?" Riku said it light heartedly, and gently ruffled Sora's hair to show that he was in a good mood. This just made Sora's heart beat faster though, and he was afraid that he would start to blush if he followed any of the trains of thought that threatened him right now.  
  
"You bet I am. It's gonna be great, we're gonna have the best adventures. And finally see other worlds. Well, I had better go for now Riku, it'll be dinner time and my mom will be mad if I'm late." Sora stood up and after a second, Riku left his warm spot on the rock to join him. The two stood next to each other, gazing out over the ocean that they would journey on tomorrow morning. Sora took a step to go and felt his shoe slip on a bit of moss. His arms flailed about as he tried to catch his balance but he failed and toppled onto his companion.  
  
The larger of the boys landed flat on his back on the sandy path that led up to the rocky outlook of the Cliffside. When Riku looked up, he was caught in the sapphire gaze of Sora, who was lying on top of him. Both boys felt and shared each other's warmth, neither moving, afraid of messing with this one moment.  
  
Taking a daring move, Sora decided that he wouldn't get a better time to express his feelings to Riku and leaned down, intent on putting a kiss on the lips which had haunted him for the last few years. But instead, he found himself kissing a black glove. Riku sat up with his hand still on Sora's mouth until the two of them were sitting, and Sora had the decency to get off of his best friends lap. Sora hung his head and stared at the sand, tears threatened to come forward, but his will was too strong and refused to let them escape. His heart ached and his thoughts ran wild. Until a soft hand pulled his chin up.  
  
Disgust, anger, hatred. Sora expected all of these but received none. Instead, Riku smiled at him and stood up. He extended his hand to the brunette sitting on the sand beneath him, and smirked. Sora reached up, but Riku withdrew his hand at the last moment.  
  
"I like you too Sora. But I won't be won over so easily. You want a kiss, fine. Catch me if you can, and you'll get one." Riku winked down at the lovestruck boy before running forward and diving off the cliff into the ocean below.  
  
'He doesn't hate me. He wants me to catch him. All I have to do is touch him, how hard could that be.' Sora grinned with a determined look, and turned to begin the chase. 


	2. Chase

The cold water surrounded Riku's body as he cut through the top of the waves like a knife. 'Oh brilliant move. Let's play hard to get. Too bad we're leaving tomorrow morning and the chances of him catching me before then are slim to none.' Riku's strong arms pushed through the water, his heavy clothing making him struggle more than usual. Taking a quick turn in the water, he headed for a small inlet, inside a cave on the other side of the island, even Sora didn't know about it.  
  
Water flew as Riku's head popped out of the water within the cramped, damp space of the cave. He panted for breath as his lungs burned at him. To call this place a cave was really an understatement, especially now at high tide. A small shelf stuck out from the wall of the cliff above, and there was a three foot bubble above it, forming the roof of the cavern. Not nearly enough to stand in, but at low tide, Riku had found that he could climb to this shelf and that he was short enough to sit there without hitting his head. At low tide that is.  
  
Riku swam to the shelf, which was now underwater and sat down on it. The water level came to his stomach and he regretted not having checked how high the water was before coming here. He lay back, his lower half cushioned by the moss that grew below the water level, and his head found it's way to the smooth hole in the rock he had discovered long ago.  
  
His big shoes swayed back and forth with the coming and going waves, and Riku found himself being gently rocked to sleep. 'No. Can't fall asleep.'  
  
Sea-green eyes opened and looked though the bright clear water which was slowly ebbing out of the cave. His reflection stared back at him, his silver hair dripping and his chest rising. Riku took his hand and slammed it against the water, banishing his reflection. 'I am not part of the sea. I hate it.' The reflection came back nevertheless, and his eyes blended with the color of the midday water until he couldn't take it anymore. Everything about this island, and himself, seemed to remind him that he was stuck. Trapped.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Riku let himself slip off of the shelf and sunk to the bottom of the ocean, he paused there and searched the opaque waters for a flash of a red jumpsuit. Nothing but the small fishes darting back and forth along the rippling floor. Riku used his powerful leg muscles and pushed off from the bottom, swimming for his other favorite spot, the paopu island.  
  
After climbing up the ladder, Riku took up a seat half way down the paopu tree. This way, Sora couldn't sneak up on him so easily. The sun was directly above and Riku could feel his clothing drying when a creak alerted him to someone walking on the bridge behind him. 'Nice try.'  
  
Sora winced as the old wood of the bridge had given away his position. 'Oh well, I've got him cornered, and he won't be able to get out of this by surprising me again.' A small, sneaky grin tore across his face as he walked towards the tree where his quarry sat. The silver head never stirred. Sora stepped closer and closer, no longer worrying about being quiet as his shoes rustled in the sand.  
  
Riku took a deep breath, and a shiver went up his spine. 'Maybe I should just let Sora catch me.it is what I want.' This thought left as quickly as it had come and Riku stood up to meet his follower. At the same time, he reached into the branches of the paopu tree and pulled out his wooden sword.  
  
Sora paused, if Riku dove into the ocean now, he would most likely get away, being the stronger swimmer of the two. But then Riku grabbed his wooden sword and Sora realized that he was still carrying his after his duels with Tidus and Wakka. He grinned and walked even closer to the tree, holding his sword out, pointing it straight ahead of him at the yellow shirt of his best friend.  
  
"So, you want to duel, huh?" Riku ran along the crooked trunk of the tree and leapt to the side of the tiny island, putting a little distance between them.  
  
"Well, a duel wasn't what I came here for. But I accept. Don't forget Riku."  
  
"I know, the rules apply here too, guess we'll have to see how good you are at attacking, and not just blocking." Sora barely had time to block as Riku came hurtling at him, sword swinging in a graceful arc. After he heard the wooden smack of the two swords, Sora reached out to touch the pale boy who haunted him night and day. But there was no one where he would have expected.  
  
Riku stopped as he was just about to fall off the island. He was letting his momentum do the fighting for him, and it just so happened that this kept him far out of his crush's reach.  
  
By the time Sora had turned to face Riku, the boy's sword came from above him. Sora blocked blindly, the sun glaring into his eyes.  
  
Again, Riku leapt back, far away from his ginger haired sparring partner. The two slowly circled each other, one tense and ready to catch his more relaxed, graceful companion. His legs like springs, Sora launched himself forward after being tensed for so long and flew at Riku. His sword hung at his side, this was no dueling attack, he had meant to tackle the larger boy. But Riku, relaxed as always, stepped to the side, allowing Sora's face and the sand to get reacquainted.  
  
"Phses, ack." Sora spit the sand out of his mouth. Something poked his back and Sora craned his neck to the side to look up at the smiling face of Riku, holding his sword to Sora's back.  
  
"I win Sora. Better not let that happen with anyone else on the island, you'll never hear the end of it from them."  
  
Sora scrambled to his feet, but Riku was already across the bridge and walking down the beach. 'Oh I'll get you, you just wait.' 


	3. Close

Thank you all SO much for the reviews. I'm glad you're so into this story. Now, I know this isn't the way things happened and my timings and everything are off. So sue me. This is a fanfic, I like it this way better. ^_^ enjoy. Keep up the reviews, and I'll keep up the writing.  
  
  
  
'Steady there.' Sora shifted his weight to his left foot, then to his right. The branches beneath him creaked softly, but they felt sturdy enough to him. 'Oh yes Riku, I will get you back for that duel.' Images of Riku standing over Sora, pressing him into the ground with his sword flew through the young boys mind.  
  
"No." Sora surprised himself by saying this out loud, but he couldn't start thinking about Riku right now, he needed to concentrate. It was only a few hours before sunset, when his mother would expect him home. And he absolutely needed to catch Riku before then. Blocking all sexy images of the confident boy he was prowling for, Sora readjusted himself in the palm tree where he was hiding.  
  
His ears picked up footsteps down the path. Soft steps, the sand crunching under the person's feet. He had seen Riku coming in this direction before he rounded a few bends, and had chosen this tree in particular. It was only about five feet about the level of the path, and hung almost directly over it.  
  
'The perfect ambush.' Feeling light on his feet, Sora found good footholds on the branches, and held onto some of the sturdier outer branches. Like a cat, he was set and ready to pounce at exactly the right time. There was just one problem. A big frond was blocking his vision. 'Oh well, I'll jump when I hear him beneath me.' Sora took a deep breath when he heard the steady footsteps approaching. '3.2.1!'  
  
Sora fell from the tree and landed on the boy's hard body.  
  
"Ah ha! I gotcha." Sora trailed off as the blond boy struggled beneath him.  
  
"Sora? What are you doing jumping at people like that? If you wanted to fight, you coulda challenged me to a duel?"  
  
Sora smiled at Tidus, who was still flailing under him, trying to escape.  
  
"Sorry Tidus, I thought you were someone else."  
  
"Haha. I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"  
  
Sora cringed and leapt off of the slightly crushed Tidus. He looked up into the sea green eyes and blushed furiously.  
  
"Heya Riku. I want a rematch with you. I sweat, I could have beaten you if Wakka and Selphie hadn't have messed me up."  
  
"Sure Tidus. If you can't beat me 3 against 1 what chance do you have on your own?"  
  
"I've been practicing. I'll see you tomorrow at noon down on the beach, okay Riku?"  
  
Riku looked over at Sora who was brushing the sand off of his clothes and still recovering from his embarrassment.  
  
"Okay Tidus. If I can."  
  
"Wicked. Later Riku. And Sora."  
  
Sora looked up and grinned foolishly at the vested boy.  
  
"I'll get you back for that tackle next time we fight."  
  
"Uh.Sure Tidus." Sora grinned and prayed that he would go away already so he could be alone with Riku.  
  
The boy turned and walked away, whistling some strange tune and looking less phased than most would be if they'd been tackled by a boy who jumped out of a tree.  
  
"Funny Sora. I thought you liked me. Don't tell me I'm so hard to catch that you're going after Tidus now."  
  
Sora scoffed at this and glared at his crush. 'Oh I'll get you yet Riku.' But before he could even make a move, Riku had darted past him, running along the path that led to the dock.  
  
Sora took off like a shot after him and pushed his legs to their limit. It seemed like he was getting closer and closer to the boy. He took every short cut he knew, darting through caves and leaping over bushes. But still Riku held a few lengths lead.  
  
The dock was approaching fast and Sora knew that he was no match for Riku's upper body strength if this came down to a boat race. Just a few feet separating them, Sora was ready to make a desperate leap. Pushing against the loose sand, Sora tried to jump as far as he could, but Riku chose that moment to leap onto the dock. Sora slid under the dock and ended up face first into the water by their boats.  
  
"Nice try." Sora looked up, water and sand caking together on his face to stare into the face of his rival. Riku sat calmly in his boat, and extended his hand to Sora. Sora reached for it, but with a push of his oar against the dock, Riku was again out of reach.  
  
Sora sighed and stood up, it would be sunset very soon, he should get back to the island and back home. He maneuvered his small boat into the water and hopped in, powering his way over the calm smooth ocean towards his home.  
  
When his boat finally landed on the soft sand of the island where his house was, Sora sat for a moment more, looking at Riku's boat. With a heavy sigh, he dragged his feet along as he headed home. Riku's house was about a quarter mile down from his, through some jungle, so Sora couldn't help but wonder if he would actually beat Riku home. The two had always raced as kids, but Riku had an impossible ability to go farther than Sora in a faster time. Yet another thing he had grown to love about the silver haired teen.  
  
Trudging along the beach, Sora was broken out of his melancholy mood by the gentle lapping of the waves. He knew that sunset would come soon, and the island would be bathed red and orange, like someone had just poured paint across the sky which fell along the ocean and beaches. Something bright caught his eye, and Sora turned, expecting a fish or a brightly colored bird.  
  
The sun was bright and yellow and getting lower to the horizon, so Sora had to cover his eyes with his hand against the glare. Inching closer, Sora saw what had caught his attention.  
  
Riku stood still in the ocean, the water up to his knees. His back was to Sora, and he seemed to stare down the waves themselves.  
  
Sora took a few steps forward, now would be as good a time as any to catch him. The light hair was blown by the wind, and Riku half turned his head to see Sora standing on the beach.  
  
'You're mine.'  
  
'You have to catch me first.'  
  
Riku turned completely around, the water around his shins swirling as if it obeyed him. Once again, he let the black glove hang in midair, and invitation and a challenge at the same time. He could hear the water breaking behind him, he gave it about five seconds before the wave broke over him. He dug his shoes into the sand, grounding himself and smirked to Sora.  
  
Sora was in midsprint toward his prey when the water below his feet disappeared. Looking up, he saw that it was amassing in a wall behind his best friend. Sora ran faster, if only he could reach that hand before the very ocean itself conspired against him.  
  
With a mere foot separating their hands, the fury of the wave pushed Sora back, sending him head over heels. When he regained his balance, the tide tried to drag him away from his prize, but he struggle forward. Riku never flinched, his smirk egging Sora on further and further.  
  
The shaking fingers pressed against the current and had nearly touched Riku's when Sora's strength gave out and he was thrown back on the wave and landed on the sand. He took a deep breath, gasping and sputtering as he had gotten a rather large amount of sea water in his mouth. 'Blech. That can't be a good thing.'  
  
With his eyes closed and his chest rising like that, Riku had to bite his lip as he walked by. 'I will not jump him. He gets everything he ever wanted. I'm going to make him work for something this time.'  
  
Sora's eyes opened as he felt a cool shadow over him and caught barely a glimpse of Riku as he left. 'I will. And it will be tonight.'  
  
Laying in the sand, Sora began to formulate all the small details of his plot. 'That kiss is as good as mine.' 


	4. Capture

:::cough::: sorry it took me so long to put this chapter up, but I'm sick. :::hack::: yuck, I hate being sick. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Later readers!  
  
Sora stalked quietly through the jungle on his way to Riku's house. The moon was out so he could see a little of where he was going, but he still tripped on a branch or a root every now and then. Finally, after he thought he'd been lost a few times, Sora saw the outline of Riku's house come into view.  
  
Sora paused and nodded his head once before taking a deep breath. Now trying to be even stealthier than before, Sora tiptoed up to the window on that side of the house. Riku's window. Softly he reached up and pulled himself up onto the windowsill. He carefully regained his footing and looked at the bed beneath the window. A few blankets covered the form of the sleeping boy, and Sora stared at his still form for a few seconds before preparing to attack.  
  
Sora leapt onto the body and threw the covers off, wrapping his arms around.a sleeping bag.  
  
"What the."  
  
"Haha. You should have seen your face." Sora was still confused and in shock, till he looked up. Riku was standing on the other side of the room, wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants. No shirt whatsoever. 'Oh wow. He looks.good.' Sora could practically hear his mental voice crack as he stared at Riku, shadowed in moonlight. His silver hair reflected the beams and changed the color of his hair every time he moved. With his green eyes, he looked like some sort of elfish creature from a myth.  
  
Sora let go of the sleeping bag he had a death grip on and stood up, walking towards Riku. But as usual, he was prepared and held out his wooden sword, keeping Sora at a safe distance.  
  
"You know Sora, the jungle isn't the easiest place to sneak around in. I probably would have never heard you if you took the path, like a normal person." Riku smirked at his best friend, none of what he was saying held any anger or malice, just his usual humor.  
  
"Come on Riku. It would be a lot easier if you'd just let me catch you." 'Especially if you don't want to see what I've got planned to get that kiss.'  
  
"Never Sora. When have I ever let you win before? What makes you think I'd start now?"  
  
Slowly, Sora was moving forward, and turning Riku around. The two circled each other like boxers, until Riku was standing in front of the window, and Sora stopped trying to reach him.  
  
"What's wrong Sora? Is that all you've got?" Riku laughed and gently poked Sora's chest with the tip of his sword.  
  
With a rather loud thud, Riku's unconscious body hit the floor. Sora looked up at the windowsill and smiled. Tidus sat there, a rock in his hand, grinning as usual.  
  
"Right Sora, don't forget your promise." Tidus whispered as he threw the stone back into the jungle.  
  
"I know Tidus, I'll do you chores for a week." 'Of course I'm not going to be here after tomorrow morning. Haha.'  
  
"Right. And don't tell Riku it was me that knocked him out, okay?"  
  
"Sure thing. I'll tell him a coconut fell.or something like that."  
  
Tidus nodded and leapt out of the window, hurrying home before his parents found him missing from his bed.  
  
Sora looked down at Riku and felt incredibly pleased with himself that his plan had been a success. He stooped down and grabbed a hold of Riku's arms and began the difficult task of hauling the larger boy out of the window. But with his soft face pressed against his, Sora felt like he could do anything, knowing what would be his soon. Laying Riku along his back, Sora headed into the jungle.  
  
"Argh. What.what happened?" Riku opened his eyes and his breath caught. Everything was dark. Why couldn't he see?!? He sat straight up and his eyes met with a pair of sapphires staring back at him.  
  
"AHH!"  
  
"AHH!"  
  
Both boys yelped and fell backwards. Riku was glad he could see, until he noticed that Sora was sitting on his legs. Touching him.  
  
"Oh man."  
  
"Yep, I gotcha." Sora grinned at him, his teeth glowing white in the darkness of the jungle. Riku took a few moments to look around and recognized this area as the jungle between their houses. A dull throbbing began in the back of his head and when he rubbed it, Riku found a mysterious bump.  
  
"Hey, what happened?" Riku looked at Sora, who seemed very expectant of something.  
  
"Woo hoo. Sora," Riku waved his hand back and forth across Sora's eyes, trying to break him out of his daze," You awake in there? Why is there a lump on my head?"  
  
"You must have.been..hit.umm.by a coconut." Sora was leaning forward and felt as if he was falling. Falling into those green eyes. They were like emeralds shining in the shadows of the jungle, deep and beautiful.  
  
"I see." Riku sighed. 'I can't believe he caught me by knocking me out.' Riku looked up from his sigh and finally smiled at Sora. The ginger haired boy's heart jumped a few extra times.  
  
"So, I guess you want something now, don't you?" Sora shook his head vigorously up and down. Riku laughed, that soft, full hearted laugh that Sora had come to expect from him.  
  
Riku lifted one of his hands and rested it on the back of Sora's neck. He could see Sora's neck move as the younger boy gulped nervously. Then he brought his other hand to Sora's shoulder and gently pulled him in. Sora froze, he was so nervous, and happy, and nervous again.  
  
Riku leaned into the boy who was sitting on him still, and pressed his lips firmly against Sora's. Finally, the smaller boy's body went relaxed and he kissed Riku back more passionately than he had expected. Riku fell back to the ground as Sora pushed against him. Riku gently licked along Sora's lower, then upper lip, not wanting to rush the boy into anything he wasn't ready for. But Sora didn't disappoint him and opened his mouth to run his own tongue against Riku's. The silver haired boy had a tongue as soft as his voice, and Sora continued to press his against it, loving the warmth of the moving flesh.  
  
Riku finally pulled Sora out of the kiss and gasped for air. Sora just smiled at him, looking a little too innocent in the moonlight for Riku's tastes. But the boy was still laying on him, and Riku wasn't at all opposed to the position. He reached up and embraced Sora, hugging his warm body against his chest. Sora lay his cheek on Riku's bare chest, and curled up on his love. 


	5. Caught

Sora could feel something warm underneath him. And around him. Then it moved.  
  
"AHH!" Sora's eyes flew open immediately and he sat straight up.  
  
"Wha..?" Riku sat up groggily and looked at the panic stricken boy who was sitting on him, and who he still had his arms around. Sora panted a few time and clutched at his heart as he stared at Riku and he finally realized where he was.  
  
"Nice wake up call." Sora just laughed at Riku's grumpy good morning and leaned over to place a small kiss on his lips.  
  
"Do you like that one better?"  
  
"Hmm.much." Riku pulled the brunette close to him and kissed his lips passionately. Both boys opened their mouths to each other and began to taste each other as if they had done it every day of their lives.  
  
Riku finally pulled away and sighed happily before looking around. The sky was just turning from dark purple to a lighter blue, but the sky had yet to show any sunlight.  
  
"We had better both go home, our parents will wonder if we aren't in our beds."  
  
Sora pouted at Riku and let his hand wander along Riku's stomach. The older boy gasped as Sora's cool hands ran up over his chest.  
  
"Are you sure we can't stay, just a little longer?" Sora began to draw tiny circles on Riku's chest as he looked up at him with a seductive smile.  
  
Riku reached over and picked Sora up, placing the boy on the ground next to him.  
  
"Sorry Sora. But I don't think I want people to know." Riku paused and bit his lip, "about us you know?"  
  
"I understand." Sora stood up and brushed the leaves and dirt off of him. He flashed a quick grin to Riku and darted off towards his house. When he was almost out of sight, he turned around a waved at Riku one last time. The older boy smiled back and turned to head back for his own house to get a few hours of sleep, if he was lucky.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Hey Kairi! You ready to go?" Sora was practically bouncing up and down when he reached the raft and ran right up to Kairi. The girl was standing in front of the raft and looked deep in thought.  
  
"Oh, hello Sora." Sora's overly bubbly expression faded as he noted the depressed tone in his friend's voice.  
  
"What's wrong Kairi?"  
  
"The raft.there's something wrong with it."  
  
"What do you mean?" Sora cocked his head to the side and scratched it in confusion. Kairi looked up at him before walking over to the raft. With a push of her foot, she sent the raft a few feet away from the shore. And it sunk. Like a rock.  
  
"Oh man." Sora slumped down into the wet sand as he watched the raft sink through the few feet of water it was in. A cloud of sand rose up in the water around it as it settled on the beach.  
  
"I know. What are we going to do?" Kairi also sat down in the sand next to Sora. The two sat for a while, with their heads propped up on their hands.  
  
"Maybe we need more wood."  
  
"Or maybe less."  
  
The two looked at each other and sighed heavily. This was pointless. They had a useless raft and there was no way they could get off the island today.  
  
"What about Riku? It was his idea, maybe he can fix the raft?"  
  
Sora looked up at the mention of Riku's name and nodded vehemently at Kairi's suggestion.  
  
"I'll go find him." Sora leapt up and ran a total of three steps before running directly into someone. He fell back onto the sound and his head splashed into the surf. He coughed and looked up through his wet hair and could barely make out a tall outline.  
  
Riku smiled down and walked over, grabbing Sora roughly by his crown medallion and pulling the boy back to his feet.  
  
"Hey Riku! We were just talking about you." He pushed his wet hair out of his face and shook his head like a dog would, spray going everywhere as Kairi and Riku shielded their faces from the water.  
  
"What happened?" Riku sounded less than thrilled as he walked over to the downed craft.  
  
"Umm. I'm not really sure. I went to put some supplies on it before, and it started sinking beneath me. So I brought it back on shore and was waiting for you too."  
  
"It sank once you got on it?" Riku looked over at Kairi who nodded.  
  
"That probably means it isn't big enough or strong enough. We need more logs and more rope."  
  
Sora smiled at Kairi and gave her a thumbs up behind Riku's back. She giggled and turned to face the tall boy.  
  
"So where should we go? We've gotten all the spare logs on the entire island."  
  
Riku thought for a moment and looked out over the ocean. It was another of the beautiful, perfect days that he had grown used to on the island. Warm with a breeze.  
  
"Drift wood."  
  
"Huh?" Sora had been staring at Riku, and the way that the ocean wind had made his silver hair wave and shine in the morning sunlight.  
  
"I said drift wood. We can swim out to the reef and get some. Once it dries out it floats really well, and there should be plenty out there."  
  
"Hey, why don't I go see if Selphie and the others want to come and help us, it would be easier to swim that heavy wood in if there were more of us." Kairi was back to her cheerful self now that she saw a way that they could still use the raft and get off the island.  
  
"Good idea, get the three of them and meet us on the paopu island in fifteen minutes."  
  
"Right." The girl nodded and took off to find the other children on the island.  
  
Riku headed for his house but was caught off guard when Sora tackled him from behind. He tried to roll over, pinning Sora under his back, but the boy used the momentum to throw him over again. Riku spun under him and stared into the dark blue eyes before Sora leaned down and kissed him. For a moment they both enjoyed it, but the Riku grabbed onto Sora and threw him into the nearby surf.  
  
"Hey! What was that for?" Sora stood up, dripping wet.again. Riku also stood up and looked at him with a serious expression. Sora was still mad, but he saw that something was bothering Riku.  
  
"I..look.someone could have walked by and seen us. I.just." Riku felt a warm hand on his shoulder and looked into Sora's forgiving smile.  
  
"I understand. Secret. No problem." Sora looked around quickly, being overly dramatic like a spy, before giving Riku a quick peck on the lips and then dashing off as fast as he could for his boat. Riku just smiled at his retreating form and headed to get his trunks as well. 


	6. Covert

Riku shuffled around his room as he searched for some extra rope. He picked up shirts, pants, and just about everything nearby and threw them into a pile. Finally he found a piece of rope that he had found a few months earlier and coiled it up. Tossing it over his shoulder, Riku stood up and looked at himself in the mirror.  
  
He had grown a few inches lately and was now taller than everyone on the island except Wakka. He was also more muscular and stronger than anyone else. Riku wore a pair of gray swim trunks with a navy blue stripe on the bottom. With the weather on the island, no one every wore something over their bathing suits when they went swimming, nor did they ever bring a towel.  
  
For a few more minutes Riku stood there, thinking about all that had happened in the past few days. Sora was finally his. Or he was Sora's as the case may be.  
  
'I wonder just how far Sora will take this. I love him. But this is all new to me.' With a sigh, Riku stepped out of his room and yelled a goodbye to his parents before darting out the door.  
  
As soon as his bare feet hit the warm sand Riku ran headlong into something. He and the something tumbled over each other and landed in a tangle on the sand.  
  
"You know Riku, we have to stop meeting like this." Sora's grin poked it's way out from under one of Riku's legs and he had to smile back at the boy.  
  
"What were you doing hanging around outside a person's door, you never know when it's about to open." Riku untangled himself and stood up, extending a hand to his small boyfriend. As Sora took his hand and stood up, Riku took a second to admire the boy. Sora's body was as cut as any boy's, though he wasn't nearly as built as either Riku or Wakka. His skin was a golden color, a few shades lighter than his cinnamon hair. He was only wearing a pair of yellow shorts with a black x on each leg. They stood there holding hands for a minute, and Sora's dark blue eyes swept over Riku as well.  
  
It was a rare thing for Riku to swim far out into the ocean with the others, even though he was one of the fastest on the island. His skin was paler than all the other children, but it complemented his hair perfectly. He let a small smirk creep across his face before he leaned forwards and pecked Sora's lips with a light kiss.  
  
"Come on. The others must be waiting." Letting go of his hand, Riku took off across the sand, leaving behind a happy and stunned Sora.  
  
"Hey, wait a sec!"  
  
Riku just laughed as he left Sora behind and reached the shoreline. Even with the bright glare, he could make out a few figures standing together. When he got close enough he could see Selphie, Kairi, and Wakka all standing around and talking.  
  
"You guys all ready to go?"  
  
The three smiled at him and nodded.  
  
"Oh Riku!" Kairi ran up to him. "I almost forgot, how are we going to pull that many logs back with us. It'll take forever."  
  
"No problem. You take your boat out and we'll load it up with logs." Kairi smiled and ran off with Selphie to get her skiff and bring it to where the others were.  
  
"Pant. Pant." Wakka looked over and laughed at Sora who was wheezing and holding his chest after having to chase down Riku through the sands.  
  
"Wat's a matter, ya?"  
  
"Tired...need...air. Ugh." Sora fell onto his back and enjoyed the warmth of the noon sun, and the feel of the water running over his feet.  
  
"Heya guys!" Sora looked up and shaded his eyes to see Tidus running up. His eyes shot open when Riku turned from talking to Wakka and looked at him. Tidus skidded to a halt.  
  
"Uhh. H-Hi there. R-Riku. Heh. Heh." Tidus smiled and put his hand behind his head, trying to fake an innocent look as he scooted closer to Wakka, and farther from Riku.  
  
Riku just looked confused and Sora burst out laughing. The tall boy decided to just let it go as he saw the girls in their skiff coming down the shoreline.  
  
"Hey boys! Why don't you guys race out to the reef?" Selphie shouted and her and Kairi giggled as they turned the boat and headed for the reef, wanting a good angle to watch the race.  
  
Sora leapt up and got down into a crouching position. To his right Riku did the same, and then Wakka and Tidus.  
  
"Ready!" Tidus yelled as all the boys ground their heels into the sand.  
  
"Set!"  
  
Riku reached his left hand over quickly and without anyone noticing, and ran it up Sora's thigh.  
  
Sora's whole face turned beet red and he looked over at Riku with a shocked look just as he heard Tidus yell "GO!"  
  
Three bodies hit the water with a splash as Sora was left behind in his surprise.  
  
"You cheater!" Sora took off and dove into the water, trying to make up lost time against the other boys.  
  
Selphie turned around when she heard the splashing approaching her and giggled at the racing boys. Wakka was in the lead, being the strongest swimmer out of them all he wasn't even breathing hard as he swam powerfully through the water. Riku was right behind him, or under him as the case may be. As Riku raced he had a habit of diving under the water and ending up farther ahead than the other boys, being able to hold his breath for a long time was coming in handy.  
  
Tidus and Sora lagged behind, trying to catch up but being pummeled by the waves as they pushed on.  
  
"Poor Sora." Kairi smiled as she continued paddling out over the open ocean until they reached the enormous coral reef that surrounded the island.  
  
The boy gasped as he thrust his arms out and tried to catch up to the bigger boys. Tidus seemed fine, but just couldn't get enough speed either. Finally, Tidus and Sora arrived at the reef where Wakka and Riku were sitting on a part of the coral that stretched above the water. A reef surrounded every part of the island except a small part which every islander knew in order to navigate safely out into the ocean. A lot of wood that came from the island during storms became snagged on the reef which in most places reached above the ocean even at high tide.  
  
Sora crawled slowly up onto a soft mossy piece of rock and coral and looked at the two winners. Both Riku and Wakka looked pleased with themselves, and Sora and Tidus looked worn out as usual.  
  
"You boys need to get into shape, Riku and Wakka beat you both by a lot." Kairi giggled and shook her finger at Sora and Tidus.  
  
"Ha. You're one to talk. You rowed out here." Tidus swam over near the boat and went to tip them over.  
  
"Don't you dare Tidus!" Selphie, for fear of falling in the water and getting wet, smacked Tidus on the head.  
  
"Oww." Rubbing his bump, Tidus went to sit and rest with the other boys.  
  
Kairi gave Selphie a high five before the girls laid back on the boat and prepared for a nice day of getting a tan. Kairi in her purple one piece bathing suit and Selphie in her yellow bikini.  
  
The boys just shook their heads and Riku put the rope into the boat until they needed it.  
  
"Okay guys, we need as much big pieces of logs as we can get. If you find some, bring it back here and we can put it in the boat with the girls." Something grumbled a yes from inside the boat. Sora just laughed at the girls and walked back into the water, swimming along the reef looking for wood.  
  
Tidus went for the more direct approach and dove straight down to the floor of the ocean and began to look around. A minute later he broke through the surface and was breathing heavily.  
  
"Ey Tidus man, do like the others." Wakka shook his head as he skimmed the surface, until he saw a bit of wood sticking out from the reef. Taking a deep breath he went under and tugged it out.  
  
"Ere's one girls." He smiled and tried to get the log into the boat without crushing the girls. They eventually maneuvered themselves so that they could fit with the wood.  
  
Finally there was some progress as they spread out along the reef, collecting anything that could possibly be added to the raft. Riku saw some pieces of wood behind a shelf of coral and looked to see Sora swimming about ten feet from him. Tidus and Wakka were on the other side of this division in the reef.  
  
"Hey Sora. There's a lot of wood over here. Come and help me out." Sora smiled and swam quickly over. When he got there, Riku took his hand under the water. Sora's eyes lit up and he squeezed the hand tightly. Looking around quickly, Riku leaned forward and whispered in Sora's ear.  
  
"Take a deep breath." Both boys sucked in as much air as they could and let themselves sink under the water, pushing against the reef to get farther down. When they were halfway down, Sora leaned forward and pressed his lips to Riku's. Riku wrapped his arms around the smooth boy's chest and slid his hands along the wet flesh. The two couldn't open their mouths for fear of drowning, but just enjoyed being pressed against each other in the soft ocean current.  
  
Kairi smiled as she sat on the boat and was able to see where all the boys were. She looked over to Selphie and smirked.  
  
"I told you Selphie. You owe me five dollars now." Kairi grinned an ear- splitting smile.  
  
Selphie just sighed and watched Riku and Sora break off from their embrace. Then she looked at Tidus and Wakka, who were attacking some fish in the water and enjoying the chase after the small blue flashes.  
  
"Kairi, if you guys do find another world, I'm begging you, bring some guys back. You can't leave me with just those two as choices." Selphie sighed and went back to tanning herself, and Kairi did the same, before Riku and Sora came up for air.  
  
Sora smiled like an idiot as he took a breath and dove under the surf again to get one last piece of wood for the raft. Riku smiled also, tying the last pieces of logs to the back of the boat to be towed along.  
  
"Okay girls, you're set to go." They both nodded and began to paddle back to shore, the boys also began to swim at a leisurely pace back. 


	7. Coming

"Ah." Riku sighed happily and flung himself onto the beach. Tidus, Wakka, and Sora came walking out of the ocean and flopped down on the warm sand next to him. The sound of sand crunching brought their attention to Selphie and Kairi who were pulling the skiff up onto the beach.  
  
"Hey! Are you guys gonna help us pull these logs or just lay there like bums all day?" Kairi voice caused all four boys to open their eyes and turn their heads to her.  
  
"I think that's your answer Kairi." Selphie crossed her arms and kicked her foot, sending sand flying on all four boys.  
  
"Hey!" Tidus yelped as the he and the other boys sat up, throwing their head back and forth to get the sand out of their hair.  
  
"Selphie." Kairi tried to reprimand her friend but suddenly felt strong arms around her waist. "Hey, what the?"  
  
Riku grinned as he hoisted the small girl up and walked into the surf. Wakka grabbed Selphie's arms and Sora took a hold of her legs. They too walked into the breaking waves, with a screaming Selphie flailing between them. Tidus just sat back and laughed at the whole thing.  
  
"RIKU!!" Kairi hit the cold water with a splash as the muscular arms fell away. Riku smirked and watched as Sora and Wakka swung Selphie back and forth, counting to three. She too joined Kairi under the waves and Wakka fell backwards into the surf laughing.  
  
Suddenly Sora got a strange look on his face and looked into the water which was cloudy with upturned sand. Then the brunette was pulled quickly under the water. Riku looked around, but he was the only one he could see in the water.  
  
"Look out Riku!" Tidus yelled from the shoreline, trying to contain his laughter.  
  
Riku felt a shadow fall over his back and he spun around quickly only to be faced with Wakka leaping out of the water at him. Trying to dive away, Riku ended up flattened on the sand below him as Wakka performed a swan dive on his back. His soft green eyes opened underwater, but he couldn't see an inch in front of his face because of all the sand in the water. 'Oh I'll get you for that one Wakka.'  
  
Digging into the sand Riku pulled himself into deeper waters, using his swimmers lungs and staying under water for as long as he could. Finally he came up gasping for air and looking around in the deeper and clearer water for his friends. Sora had a hold of Kairi and was throwing her through the air. Riku just sat and watched his two best friends wrestle with each other, Kairi trying as hard as she could even though she knew she was no match for Sora.  
  
"Dude..I feel left out." Tidus came running towards where everyone was and jumped into the middle of things. Wakka came up behind him and grabbed him under the arms, holding him a couple of feet out of the water.  
  
Riku used this as a distraction and swam back to the group, having caught his breath. He kept himself low in the water as he approached his completely unaware prey. Only two feet from him, Sora suddenly spun around, hearing the soft movement of water behind him. Riku jumped forward, hoping to knock Sora down, but the smaller boy held his arms out and the two ended up with their hands locked together, trying to push against each other.  
  
The others swam over and began to cheer on one boy or the other. Riku's smirk was set against Sora's grin and the two continued to try and gain the upperhand.  
  
"Take em down Riku!"  
  
"Go Sora. You can do it!"  
  
"Come on Riku. Don't loose to that wimp.'  
  
"Yeah Riku! You can beat him!"  
  
Sora blinked and looked at the crowd, but keeping his guard up against his formidable foe.  
  
"Hey. Why is only Kairi rooting for me?" Selphie Tidus and Wakka just looked between them and shrugged.  
  
"Duh Sora. Riku's stronger than you. He's gonna win." Tidus just laughed and Wakka and Selphie nodded in agreement.  
  
"Gee thanks.." Sora doubled his efforts against the silver haired boy and then Riku let up. Sora was ready to cheer as he pushed forward against Riku, until the boy pulled to one side and let go. Sora's arms went to catch something, but there was nothing nearby and his face his the water with a loud splash.  
  
"Ha. Told ya Riku was gonna win, ya?" Wakka patted Riku on the shoulder as the boy stood proudly over the fallen Sora. A brown mop of wet hair came up and angry blue eyes stared at the victor.  
  
"So close...I was so close..." Sora mumbled as he pushed his hair away and smiled.  
  
"Come on guys. It's almost dark." Kairi and Selphie were already swimming happily towards the shore and Tidus was swimming to catch up.  
  
"See ya guys lata!" Wakka waved back as he ran for his boat.  
  
"Come on Sora. Time to head in. We can finish the raft tomorrow and then leave." Sora nodded and swam ahead of Riku, reaching the shore first. As Riku dove forward and began to body surf in on a small wave, he could feel something nagging at his conscience.  
  
Turning around, he gazed out at the open ocean. He suddenly had a bad feeling. Trying to land gracefully on the beach and not end up with a face full of sand, Riku stood up and continued to stare out over the ocean. The sun was almost set, and the sky was beginning to fade into black.  
  
"Come on Riku! You don't wanna be the last one home do you?" Sora winked at Riku before taking off down the beach, expecting his boyfriend to follow. But Riku's eyes never left the sea. Wrapping his arms around himself, Riku shivered, even though the breeze was warm against his skin.  
  
"Coming..." Riku ran forward, putting the odd feeling out of his mind and catching up to Sora in time to swing his arm around his shoulders and walk to their boats together. As they climbed in, Sora picked up his oar and began to row towards his home, when he noticed the unusual color of the sky. It was fading from the dark blue of near sunset into pitch black. It was darker than he'd ever seen it. Shrugging away the odd feeling in his stomach, Sora paddled to catch up to Riku and cast one last glance over his shoulder at the dark horizon.  
  
The End.  
  
Wow that sucked. I'm sorry to all of you who have been reading and reviewing, but I had no more ideas for this fic. None at all. I didn't want to carry it any farther, because that would be where the game really begins. I wanted to keep it on Destiny Islands. I apologize for the absolute suckiness of this ending, on the bright side, go read my fic Darkside. That one is now taking up all my time. Bye readers! 


End file.
